Highley Manor Accounts, 1473-4

This account was drawn up when the manor of Highley had passed into the hands of King Edward VI, as heir to the Mortimer estates. It is virtually identical to the account of 1472-3. Thomas Lowe, a Highley man, was responsible for collecting all revenues due to King Edward as lord of the manor and also for paying out any expenses. Each year an auditor would come to check the account. The account begins with the arrears owed from the previous years and then details the sums due from the various leases and rents. At some point in the past, a lord had increased many rents from the sums previously agreed (the “ancient rents”), perhaps reflecting improvements made by the tenants to their holdings; these increases are all listed. This part of the account also shows that Thomas Southall was making stone tiles at a quarry. The perquisites of the court show that a small amount of revenue came from payments made at the manor court. In defualts of rent, William had to note cases where the rent was reduced. The account then lists various payments and expenses; these show that the manor house had seen significant new building.

This account is held by the National Archives (SC6/966/14). We are grateful to Dr Sylvia Watts and the Odericus Vitalis Latin Group for the translation

The account of Thomas Lowe reeve there for the said time

Arrears
The same renders account of £15 7s 10d from the arrears of the last account there of the year next preceding as appears on the foot of the same.
Sum £15 7s 10d

Rents of assize with increase of rent and leases
And for £7 10s received from the rents of assize to be paid there at the feasts of the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary and St. Michael equally; and for 8d received from the new rent of Richard Pountney for 1 barn formerly in the tenure of John Hulle at the accustomed terms; and for 7s 10d received from the increase of diverse parcels of land leased to various tenants at the will of the lord, to wit John Palmer 3s 8d, Richard Muryden 20s, Richard Piers 6s and Roger Lowe 2s, as leased to the said tenants for the term of their lives by certification of the steward accountant at the audit of the 39th year preceding; and for 5s 4d received from the increase of the lease of the site of the manor with the demesne land formerly of Roger --, now leased to William Harper by the roll of the court of the 23rd year preceding beyond 18s of the ancient farm charged above paying at the said terms; and for 2d from the increase of the rent of William Curteyes for a croft called Barmescroft beyond 2d of ancient rent charged before paying at the said terms. And for 4d received from the increase of the rent of a grange in Highley formerly of Katherine Asteley as leased to Roger Ree to hold to him for the term of his life for the said increase each year paying at the terms of the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary and St. Michael each year by the roll of the court of the 35th year preceding. And for 6d received from the increase of the rent of a toft and 12 acres of land formerly in the tenure of John Aderne which used to render 18d a year, now leased to William Sayce for 2s a year and thus from the increase annually as above by the court roll of the 28th year preceding. And for 18d received from the increase of the rent of William Lowe as appears by the roll of the court of the 24th year preceding whereof 2d for 2 selions of land in the field of Colhet Field and 16d from a messuage and a virgate of land with the croft and a half virgate of land with appurtenances in Highley leased to the said William according to the custom of the manor by the court roll paying at the usual terms each year beyond 12s of ancient rent thus before charged under the heading of rent of assize. And for 3s received from the lease of Thomas Southall for a quarry leased to him this year for making and splitting stone tiles there as was certified at the audit. And for 4d received from the increase of rent of a messuage and 3 nooks of land with appurtenances called Stroteslonde and one mound called Strotesvalde leased to Roger Hopwode and William his son for the term of their lives beyond 6s of ancient rent as appears by the court roll of the 14th year preceding.
Sum £8 9s 4d

Issues of the manor
From the pannage of pigs there at the term of St. Martin this year nothing because [it is] in the account of Ernwood when it occurs; and from other money arising from the sale of wood or timber there this year nothing here because no sale occurred within the time of the account.
Sum nothing

Perquisites of court
And he answers for 47s 2d received from the perquisites of 2 courts held there this year as appears by the rolls of the same.
Sum 47s 2d

Sum of the whole receipt with arrears £26 4s 4d
Of which

Defaults of rent
The same accounts in default of the rent of a tenement formerly in the tenure of William white which used to render 6s 4d a year, whereof 20d thus raised this year and thus in decay 4s 8d. And ibn allowance of the rent of a close called Holyesclose formerly in the tenure of the vicar there which used to render 2s a year, whereof 20d thus raised this year and thus in decay 4d.
Sum 5s

Expenses of the steward
And in expenses of the steward of the court for holding the said courts this year as appears by the rolls of the same 6s 8d.
Sum 6s 8d

Payment of money
And in money paid to Peter Beaupe, receiver of the
lord’s money there, from the arrears of Ralph Lowe
formerly reeve there. 78s 8d
And to the same receiver from the arrears of William
Palmer the last reeve there. £10 6s 7d
Sum £14 5s 3d

Sum of the allowances and payments £14 16 11d. And he owes £11 7s 5d. From which is allowed to the said accountant 4s, whereof 2s 8d for the new making for a pair of stocks by order of the steward for punishing various malefactors in the same and 16d for the new making of a pinfold there with pales. And he owes £11 3s 5d.
Whereof

On
Richard Pountney formerly reeve there 5s
Richard Palmer formerly reeve there 10s 11d
Ralph Lowe formerly reeve there 6s 8d
from rent not raised for for 2 years
3s 4d a year
Thomas Lowe now reeve there from the issue £10 1d